Au pair visas: Peter Dutton says he has 'nothing to hide'

Peter Dutton says he has “nothing to hide” and is a “man of integrity”, as he launched a strong defence of his decision to grant visas to au pairs facing deportation.

The Home Affairs Minister said he had used his discretionary powers to allow people based on merit.

And he denied he misled parliament when he said he didn’t know a Brisbane man who’d asked for help.

Peter Dutton says he has “nothing to hide” and is a “man on integrity”, as he launched a strong defence of his decision to grant visas to au pairs, facing deportation (9News/David Gray/Pool Photo via AP, File)

The two were police colleagues in Queensland, in the 1990s.

Mr Dutton offered a thinly veiled warning to Labor, that if they want to come after him, he’s ready to respond with cases where ALP ministers stepped in.

He described the issue as “mud slinging”, saying Labor could ask “ten questions a day” but they’ll “get a whack back”.

“To say I have a situation where I helped out a friend is complete garbage,” Mr Dutton said.

Against the advice of his department, Mr Dutton granted visas to an Italian au pair who wanted to work for the family of his old police colleague, and for a French woman, due to work for the family of AFL boss Gillon McLachlan.

“I’m gobsmacked by the hypocrisy,” he said.

“I’ve intervened where Labor have come to see me. I don’t know if they have a personal relationship with those families.

“I take face values at the undertakings given to me by members of parliament. I deal with literally hundreds of these cases each year.”

The minister said former Labor ministers, Chris Bowen, Brendan O’Connor, and Tony Burke, had been noticeably quiet during the furore, saying Mr Bowen had made hundreds of requests to look at cases.

“There are people playing games at the moment,” Mr Dutton said.

“The Labor Party can throw all the mud they like.

“But frankly, there is nothing here.”

Apart from pointing the finger at Labor, and the Greens, Mr Dutton also blamed “someone disaffected within Australian Border Force” who’s found a way to throw mud.